Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame inducts class of six

The Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its 12th class Saturday night in its annual ceremony before a large gathering of family and friends at the J. Smith Young YMCA.

BY MIKE DUPREZThe Dispatch

The Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its 12th class Saturday night in its annual ceremony before a large gathering of family and friends at the J. Smith Young YMCA.Included in the 2013 class were retired West Davidson athletic director Charles Elmore, former Lexington tennis great Anna Coleman Hayes, retired Central Davidson athletic director Gene Poindexter, Davidson County Schools athletic director Phil Rapp, retired Dispatch sports editor Bruce Wehrle and the late Mike Crowell.The ties that bind were evident.“We've all known each other except Anna for over 30 years,” Elmore said. “Our careers are truly entwined.”Elmore, known for his serious demeanor during his lifelong career at West, shared some humorous asides about his fellow inductees.For a couple of years, the former longtime Green Dragon football coach had to coach the West softball team, pitting himself against his friend Poindexter, whose Central program was among the state's elite.“I called Gene every day asking for advice that first year,” Elmore said. “We got better and the next year they beat us 1-0. Then he stopped talking to me.”Wehrle, who still covers sports for The Dispatch as a correspondent, interviewed Elmore on a regular basis for 30 years, all the way back to when he was an athlete at West.“Bruce came over to interview me for Athlete of the Week,” Elmore said. “I thought he was old then.”Hayes was literally unbeatable as a tennis player from the time she reached middle school and all the way through Lexington Senior High School.She went on to play tennis for two years at Peace College in Raleigh on a full scholarship before rheumatic fever cut short her career. Hayes eventually graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned graduate degrees from Appalachian State and UNC-Greensboro.“This is a tremendous honor, a huge surprise and it is just wonderful,” Hayes said.Poindexter is best known for guiding Central to three consecutive 2-A state champions in softball with a lineup featuring record-setting pitcher Chelsea Leonard. But he remembers his dealings with Elmore over a wide range of things.“Ninety-five percent of the time when I got an email from Charles, it was three to five words,” Poindexter said to laughter.Poindexter, an East Davidson and Applachian State graduate, spent the first year of his career at West Montgomery. When the opportunity came to come to Denton, he jumped at it.“My wife would have loaded the washer and dryer on the truck herself to get back to Davidson County,” Poindexter said. “We're Davidson County people. That's why this honor means so much to me.”Rapp, a former principal who recently received recognition from the N.C. High School Athletic Association as One of 100 Administrators to Remember, is a fixture at Davidson County Schools athletic events.“I think Dr. Rapp has been doing this for about 50 years,” Elmore cracked earlier.Rapp, who was principal at West when Elmore became head football coach, poked fun at his own athletic career and said he once earned a Little League participation trophy.“If you don't mind, when I pick up my memorabilia, I'll get my little trophy when I can find it,” Rapp said. “Thank you very much. I appreciate this. I couldn't be happier.”Wehrle became the third journalist to be inducted after Furman Bisher in 2003 and Joe “Scoop” McCrary in 2011.“I never made a single basket, never scored a single goal, never scored a single point, never crossed a finish line where it mattered,” Wehrle said. “Yet here I am. Go figure. I am truly humbled.”Like Elmore did at West Davidson, Wehrle spent his entire career at The Dispatch. He made a point to single out his wife, Kim, who shared bleacher seats with him many times.“There should be a hall of fame for spouses like her,” he said.Crowell, who built South Davidson into a wrestling powerhouse and led the Wildcat to a dual team state championship in 2003, was inducted posthumously. Crowell died suddenly on Sept. 20, 2012 at the age of 52.“I wish that Mike was here,” said Rev. Dr. Lee Jessup, who gave keynote speech and introduced the inductees.Crowell's daughter Emilie accepted on his behalf.“It's a great honor to accept this on behalf of my dad,” she said.Crowell, who was a South alumnus and played baseball in college at Pfeiffer, had been a Wildcat coach since 1990. He coached just about every sport at the school — as well as serving as athletic director several years — and was known for doing anything he could to help student athletes, including giving them rides home from practice.“He took great pride in everything he did on and off the field,” Emilie Crowell said.

Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218 or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.

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